East Africa's locust outbreak continues into a 2nd year but rains bring in little hope

It's the beginning of the planting season in Kenya, but the delayed rains have brought a small amount of optimism in the fight against the locusts, though farmers still worry about their crops.

A boy holds locusts he has caught to be sold as poultry feed to a local vendor in Elburgon, in Nakuru County, Kenya. (Photo | AP) 

Without rainfall, the swarms will not breed, severely limiting the scale and extent of their threat, the FAO says in a recent update. A woman catches locusts to be sold as poultry feed to a local vendor, on a farm in Elburgon, in Nakuru county, Kenya. (Photo | AP)

A farmer's daughter carries bags of locusts she caught to be sold as poultry feed to a local vendor in Elburgon, in Nakuru County, Kenya.

Stephen Mudoga, 12, the son of a farmer, chases away a swarm of locusts on his farm as he returns home from school, at Elburgon, in Nakuru county, Kenya

It's the beginning of the planting season in Kenya, but delayed rains have brought a small amount of optimism in the fight against the locusts, which pose an unprecedented risk to agriculture-based livelihoods and food security in the already fragile Horn of Africa region, as without rainfall the swarms will not breed.

Last year, authorities managed to contain what was seen as the biggest locust infestation in Kenya in 70 years, largely through coordinated aerial spraying which covered vast territories quickly. Members of the National Youth Service spray pesticide on locusts at a farm in Elburgon, in Nakuru county, Kenya. (Photo | AP)

Desert locusts pose an unprecedented risk to agriculture-based livelihoods and food security in the already fragile Horn of Africa region amid economic crises, drought and conflict. (Photo | AP)

A typical desert locust swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts per square kilometer. A farmer watches swarms of desert locusts that invaded his farm in Elburgon, in Nakuru county, Kenya. (Photo | AP)